My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advanced copy of this book of Echinodermata horror from the depths of the oceans, filled with dead gods, cults, murder and sacrifice.

To paraphrase a writer and poet from New England: The seas are lonely, dark and deep. Filled with dangers known and unknown. Rocks, reefs even orcas to rip open a ships belly, and send it deep under the waves. Even islands that suddenly appear, spits of land in the middle of the emptiest of seas, with towers covered in carvings, or nail marks from those who dragged inside. Where a dead god awaits the response to its summonings, planning to take over the world like some twisted Noah from Biblical myths, in creatures two, by twos, covering the world in its own image a dark star with many arms reaching everywhere. This it the world of The Ravening Deep: An Arkham Horror Novel by Hugo award-winning author Tim Pratt. Based on the board game Arkham Horror, the book deals with cults, thieves, murders, doubles, triples, and other things that dwell in darkest Massachusetts.

Abel Davenport has seen better days. Alone in the world, with only his fishing boat that he can't afford to crew, Abel has set out to sea in a storm just to gather anything he can in his nets. If Abel dies on the sea, fine. Abel's boat is destroyed and he finds himself on a desolate rocky island with only a tower of some sort as company. Entering Abel finds first an amulet and something more. Abel finds himself back in his small fishing town, not far from the city of Arkham, without a clue of how he came home. His pockets are loaded with gems, and soon he sets himself up with a sanctuary, his old family home. Strange events occur and Abel finds that he is the only one that can stop a mad cult from bringing back a dead god, and his enemy knows more about Abel than he remembers. Teaming with a renegade cultist, a mysterious mystic, and clever cat burglar, Abel sets off to stop the evil that he knows is coming. However he might be too late.

Another great book in this series, that both balances the lore of Lovecraft, diversity in characters and even humor. Pratt has a very good story, though it might remind certain people of a character named Starro, and tells it really well. Abel is a bit of a loser, who redeems himself when he realizes that something has been controlling him, and tries to do right. Diana Stanley entered the world of cults more to gain power and cheaper rent, but when things went wrong, again tried to do the right thing. And the other characters are just as interesting. This is s a surprisingly violent book, people you don't expect get killed quite easily, and it did keep a reader on their toes. There are references to other books, and the ending leaves a lot of hints for future stories, though I was surprised by which characters became a couple, but also makes sense story wise.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series, and this one is no exception. This might be a good one to start with for people new to the series, as this one has a good mix of lore, horror, humor and a strong plot. And one does not even have to be familiar with the game to enjoy, as this is a very good stand-alone novel, and a lot of fun.

This book was a blast to read, and I highly recommend it to fans of lovecraftian pulp horror! The book was a real (digital) page-turner. The exciting and unusual plot moves quickly with plenty of action. It is clear the author is familiar with the table top role playing game behind the story, because not only did I enjoy the characters, I could almost picture myself playing as these characters! Masterfully written. Grab this book as soon as it hits the shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley and Arconyte Books for a digital ARC of Tim Pratt’s The Ravening Deep in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the cover. I didn’t feel like it was representative of what I got as I read. Or, I suppose now that I’m evaluating it critically, maybe it is and I just didn’t realize, because the text and the cover do feel “game-y.” I’m definitely not the target audience of this book. Stopping at 5%. That said, the writing/prose itself is lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte for the ARC.

ARC Copy...Yep flows like a game session plus the Lovecraft creepy mythos and very strong here especially around the Innsmouth-nautical story moods and monsters. Even if not fan of the game, still a good read for Lovecraft fans.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

*Thank you to NetGalley and to Aconyte Books for my first ARC sent for review!*

When I first saw the book cover and the genres they fall into, I was pretty excited. Without spoiling anything (because believe me, going too much in depth would ruin the fun of the book), it was a fun read!

I enjoyed reading about the main three characters, and there was plenty of instances I found myself on the edge of my seat or with my mouth wide open. The setting is vivid enough you can visualize things as they happen, it doesn't bounce around with unnecessary description - which with a plot like that, it can be an easy mistake to make - and I was pleasantly surprised with how everything played out. I was interested in learning more of the world and story elements, the author knows how to keep your attention at every page.

I can't wait for its release. Well done!

Introduction:

After discovering an ancient temple in the deep ocean, dissolute fisherman Abel Davenport becomes influenced by a long-dead god. He attempts to restore the god’s cult, but his actions result in a plague of twisted doppelgangers being unleashed on Arkham. Davenport realizes that he alone cannot stop the monsters from resurrecting the Ancient One, and decides to start a new cult to end the old one. To achieve this, he teams up with redeemed cultist Diana Stanley and notorious thief Ruby Standish. They must also convince Carl Sanford, the powerful leader of Arkham’s Silver Twilight Lodge, to join their cause. Together, they may be the only hope of preventing a catastrophic eldritch invasion.

Thoughts:

Mother of all holy things! Wow! Just wow! Tim Pratt has yet again proven why he’s a Hugo Award Winner because The Ravening Deep was truly a whirlwind of awesomeness to read. It is a fascinating blend of science fiction, fantasy, and mythology that is both intriguing and suspenseful, with unique and goose flesh inducing innovative concepts. As is typical of Tim Pratt’s writing, the world-building is excellent, the plot is intricate, and the characters are beautifully crafted. Despite its brevity, the story’s plot was flawless, and there was not a single dull moment throughout the entire narrative. I haven’t ever played Arkham Horror games but Tim Pratt makes it almost impossible not to explore them or other literature based on the games by different authors, with his fabulous writing skill and storytelling. Told in multiple point of views, The Ravening Deep delves in to unique mythology concepts unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I loved every single part of it. Of course there were a few moments here and there the plot became somewhat rickety but it didn’t necessarily distract me from enjoying the story at all.

Diana, Ruby and Abel were unique and great protagonists. I do understand the story is based on a game so Tim Pratt can’t derive from the narrative much but I would have loved to dig deeper into Ruby’s story as she was a really interesting character. Cain was a brilliant antagonist and I absolutely loved Carl Sanford’s character. The dialogs were well written and the interactions amongst characters felt natural and on point.

In conclusion, The Ravening Deep is a brilliant book that has the potential to turn into it’s own series and Tim Pratt is truly a gifted writer that never fails to impress me. My heartfelt gratitude to Netgally, Aconyte Books and Tim Pratt for providing me this advanced reader copy of The Ravening Deep.

Rating: 4.5

I am skeptical about tie-in fiction but almost always excited to read a Tim Pratt book. In this case the Arkham setting is not terribly restrictive, and Pratt’s talent for droll horror and fantasy is ideally suited for the material. This is a page turning, fun read, with elements of real horror and ample opportunities for Pratt’s excellent dialogue and well-turned phrases. Familiarity with Lovecraftian themes is a plus but not a must, by any means. The only odd editorial feature is the frequent use of bolder italics for emphasis, which works at times but is overused. Well worth the time to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.